2021 Has Been a Year I Am Thankful For

Often on New Year’s Eve, we discuss the changes we want to make for ourselves in the new year but I wanted to focus on what I'm thankful for this past year.

As I entered 2021, I was in the middle of finishing my book "Black Victim To Black Victor". I was dedicated to finishing it and my then-fiancée continued to give me emotional support to accomplish something I had never attempted to do before.

As it was time to edit my book, my editor fell through, but my fiancée stepped up and helped to edit the book alongside me. She would sit on the train to work looking for corrections and asking me for context. It's this type of love that I'm extremely appreciative of.

In March, I was done and ready to publish. I had no expectations of how many people would read it or even like it. It was a way for me to express myself and for my son to understand his father better than most children get to & be proud of what his father has become.

Understand, I was essentially a nobody. I had no real public persona. I didn't even post publicly about my viewpoints. I lurked & learned until I was ready to market my book. There was no obligation for anyone to listen to what I had to say but @Rule62peter wanted to talk to me.

@Rule62peter has been extremely supportive of what I've been trying to do and it has even extended to his mother, who I call my 'Guardian Angel'. The first time she heard me speak, she wanted to talk to me. She bought multiple copies of my book and messages me with words of...

encouragement and has overall been someone proud of me along the way. This type of reaction to what I'm saying has been incredibly uplifting for me and has helped give me the confidence to speak my mind as often as I choose to. Thankfully she's not the only one.

Another significant moment was being invited into a TV studio by @Stephen_Kent89 to appear on his show "Right Now". His team was gracious enough to have my fiancée come & sit in the control room and listen to the chaos behind the scenes. It's a moment we'll both never forget.

There have been times when I felt like I'm on a particular path and God is guiding me. After this appearance, I was contacted by @NBFCorp and asked if I would come to speak in Wisconsin. I had never spoken in public on a large stage before but I wanted the challenge.

A few days before I made it there, I realized @ConceptualJames was also going to be speaking there. I was legitimately nervous but James & @Gundisalvus were extremely supportive beforehand. I stood in front of a crowd of 600, said my piece & was given a standing ovation.

God blessed me with the opportunity to find a new avenue to speak to people outside of writing and it's something I genuinely enjoy doing now. @NBFCorp gave me the chance to have my voice heard & which means everything to me.

As my life was changing publicly, my life privately was changing as well. September 17th, I married the perfect woman for me. It was a small wedding, which is exactly what we both wanted. Everything she's done for me along the way solidified I was making the right decision.

My son got to see his father enter a new phase of his life by becoming a husband. He was the only person I would have considered to be my best man as well. To also come full circle, I invited @Rule62peter to my wedding and I am appreciative of his help during the wedding as well.

After the wedding, we were fortunate enough to explore Turkey for our honeymoon and get closer to each other. A myriad of things could have happened to prevent us from traveling but they didn't, so I am thankful.

Overall, I'm thankful for so much. I am thankful for all the new people I've met. Genuinely wonderful people who are supportive and have taught me a lot along the way. I'm also thankful for people like @ZubyMusic @gothixTV @ChrissieMayr for allowing me onto their platforms.

I've done everything to express myself while being true to myself. I have no interest in chasing fame or compromising my beliefs for monetary reward. I have no interest in beefing with people either. I just want to say what I think & have genuine conversations.

You can't control much in this world but you can control what type of energy you put out in this world. I do my best to put out positive energy while being critical of ideologies & powerful people.

I am thankful to publications like @Newsweek @ScoonTv & @TPostMillennial for allowing me to express myself.

Some may know that I've been through more than the average person. Homelessness, financial issues, car repossession, etc. Experiencing these things has made me appreciative of everything I have & not envious of what I don't have.

As the year is coming to an end, I am a proud Father, Husband, Author, Public Speaker, and Op-Ed writer. I've done so much yet I feel like more is to come in 2022. I will always remain the same person I am today, no matter the successes.

I appreciate everyone who has been following me throughout this journey. I do my best to respond & interact with everyone who takes the time to say something constructive to me. There is a reason my DMs are open: I do not take you for granted & never will.

Lastly, I want to thank God for giving me the strength to take on these new challenges in life. I've rarely been nervous even when I probably should be. I've taken everything in stride and tried to remain humble in the process.

Let's use this day to tell people how much you appreciate them. Hug the people you love. Reach out to people you haven't talked to recently because tomorrow isn't promised. Try to leave a positive mark on people and a build legacy you would be proud of.

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